Aptos Labs Swiftly Ships First Solutions Using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to Move Web3 Forward

Today, the Aptos Labs team is proud to make good on its promise to speedily introduce secure and innovative solutions that pair Microsoft’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) with Aptos’ blockchain technology.

tl;dr

• Aptos Assistant, using Azure OpenAI Service, is live and ready to answer any tech, ecosystem, and dev-related questions about the Aptos layer 1 blockchain.
• Developers building on Aptos are invited to validate their projects on Microsoft Azure via the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub which provides eligible startups up to $150,000 in Azure cloud credits.
• Aptos Labs is supporting Microsoft with tech and documentation on how to launch an Azure-based validator node on Web3.
• Looking ahead: Aptos Labs plans on exploring experimentations, with initial activity in the Financial Services Industry set to yield announcements to come in 2024.

Today, the Aptos Labs team is proud to make good on its promise to speedily introduce secure and innovative solutions that pair Microsoft’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) with Aptos’ blockchain technology. In addition to shipping Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service-powered solutions created for the Aptos ecosystem, the companies are actively testing, applying lessons learned, and planning to dive deeper into creating solutions for specific Web3 use cases from financial services to e-commerce to gaming.

This momentum in the form of shipped products and a path to real-world utility comes swiftly on the heels of Aptos Labs’ collaboration with Microsoft, forged with shared goals of simplifying Web3 onboarding, overcoming hurdles to mass adoption, and creating clear progress in bridging Web2 and Web3.

Shipping Real-World Utility with Aptos Assistant

In pursuit of toppling one of Web3’s greatest hurdles to mass adoption, Aptos Assistant, a secure and user-friendly assistant based on Azure OpenAI Service, is here to help developers build on Aptos regardless of their level of Web3 experience. The solution is available today for anyone and everyone looking to build, iterate, or further develop solutions on top of Aptos. Developers can ask Aptos Assistant any Aptos-related question and receive real-time, context-rich, and useful information within seconds.

Aptos Assistant also offers guidance for developers going through the process of creating smart contracts, making a once-confusing process well-integrated and approachable thanks to Azure OpenAI Service. Further, Aptos Labs participated in Microsoft’s AI Co-Innovation Lab with Aptos Assistant, which provided technical expertise around Azure OpenAI Service and other services.

“Aptos Assistant, along with everything developed and shipped on Microsoft Azure, incorporates a secure, and trusted infrastructure layer — with iterations and upgrades informed by experimentation, testing, and real user feedback,” said Avery Ching, Co-Founder & CTO of Aptos Labs.

“Our collaboration with Aptos Labs is a testament to the synergistic power of AI, blockchain, and data. Using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, particularly the advanced capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT-4, Aptos Labs is not only simplifying the development process for dApp creators but also unlocking new frontiers in data analytics,” said Daniel An, Microsoft’s Global Director of Business Development, AI, and Web3.

Validating on Azure and Expanding Microsoft for Startups

Developers building on Aptos can validate their dApps on Microsoft Azure. With Azure, dApps built on Aptos can connect with existing IT environments across on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge scenarios.

Developers building on Aptos are invited to validate their projects on Microsoft Azure via the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub which provides eligible startups up to US$150,000 in Azure cloud credits as well as free access to powerful tools like GitHub Enterprise. Credits can be used across Azure products so they can run experimental development across our portfolio including Azure Open AI Service. Credits are redeemable over time so startups have the support they need when they need it.

On the infrastructure layer, Aptos empowers developers to create on their terms. Azure validation strengthens this capability, powering global dApp distribution across supported locations, including 60 regions and 140 countries. Developers can also use Azure’s tools for app development, access up-to-date services, and benefit from a flexible, scalable, and high-performance cloud infrastructure. Azure validation also enhances the security of the already-fortified Aptos blockchain — including the largest compliance coverage of any cloud provider employing a Zero Trust model of security.

For additional and immediate value, Aptos Labs will support Microsoft with technology and documentation for anyone interested in learning how to launch an Azure-based validator node on Web3.

What’s Next: Diving into Financial Services and Exploring Experimentation

As the massive potential of open finance systems becomes increasingly clear, the Aptos Labs and Microsoft teams will actively explore new financial services-related solutions in 2024. The focus areas will be expanding developer resources and combining generative AI, data, and Web3 technology in useful ways that help builders while attracting more users to the ecosystem.

“Collaborations like this one with Microsoft are important because mass adoption requires grit, expertise, and new solutions that attract new users to Web3,” says Mo Shaikh, Co-Founder and CEO of Aptos Labs. “We’re eager to enter this next phase of innovation with the Microsoft team.”